Shock diffuser



F. F. LANDIS' sHocK DIFFusER Filed Mgy 26' 1928 nuwnfo@ Z5 Hah/(Flandis Patented Feb. 17, 1931 ,nnirrin i .i 1,79ze13- .eater-"ortica FRANK n. LANDES, on wavnnsnone, rnNNsvrnaNrn, AesrGNon To FRANK F. nANms rnTnNTs, INconroR-ATED, or wAYNEsBoRo, PENNSYLVANIA; n CORPORATION or -PENNSYLVANIA e j Application mea may ee.

My invention relates to hydraulic shock` forV use with vehicles, and particularly f adaptedo-r use on automobiles.

A 'further object of the invention is to provide means ,for taking up all lost motion between loose joints in a shock diffuser device whereby the hydraulic resistance 'will come into play' at the very start of therecoil in F thel springs 4on the machine.

Another object isto provide a resistance to recoil in direct proportion tothe extent of spring compression.`

il. further object ofthe invention is to provide Vstructure whereby the mixing of air and oil willbe prevented, Vand to 'further provide for quiclrseparation of air and oil in case they do become mixed.

A still further object isto provide means for dissipating :the heat generated in the oil in the container and thus to prevent the generation of gas in the body of the oil.

Another object is to provide a shock dif-Y fuser for a vehicle, which will not stiifen or preload the spring.

A 'further object isto provide ahydraulic shock diiiuserof such construction that in operation there will be no reversal or change of direction in the flow of the resisting me- Cllllm. Y Vi l Another Objectis to provide a construction in which there will be no wire drawing or restriction to the liow of oil during spring compression.

A further objectothe invention is to provide a shock diffuser having the characteris tics above enumerated which shall also be compact in form, positive and reliable in action. Y

Further objects and advantages oi theinvention will become apparent as the description proceeds. Y

Referring to the accompanying Adrawings which are made a part hereof and on-w'hich similar reference characters indicate similar parts, i l f Figure 1 is a vertical section of the device,

. Figure 2, a section on line 2 2 of Fig, 1,

Figure 3, a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1,l f

' encon ninnsnn ieee; seran ne. 280,913.

Figure 4, a plan viewof Aa detail showing connection between an arm o-n the Vdiiluser and the Vconnecting link,' j n igure, a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1,

. Figure 6, a detail View of a springdislr,

Figure 7, a vertical section showing in detail a modified form of by-pass valve, and V Figure 8, an elevational View of the modiiiedl bypassstructure shown in Fig. 7;

In the drawings numeral 10 indicates a5 casing which may be boltedtothe `iframe 'of themachine by bolts passing. through perorations 11 and 12. This casing carries most of the operativeparts of the device. An oil container 13 is bolted to the under side voit' the casing by means of bolts lfand 15, passing through ears 16 and 17 o-n Athe sideof th'e'oil` container. ,The container may. thereforebe vreadily removed byloosening the bolts and YslightlyA turning the container sofas to release .thehoolrs or ears fromthe bolts.

An inverted disk-like `plate 18 is securely fastened Yto the lower 4part of the casing 10 by means of bolts or screws19. To the lower part of this plate is secured an inverted cylin` der 20m-Quilted so as to depend .within the oil chamber 13. A piston 21'ispositioned within this cylinder. VThe upper end of the piston 21 is closedby a disk` valve 22 which fis held seated upon the cylinder by means of `a tension spring 23'secured to the valve at one end and to a pin 24 at` its other end. Thevalve Y has lugs or ears to hold it properly aligned in the cylinder.

`The housinglO has a journal 25 mounted therein. This ournal carries on its Outer ends arms 26 rigidly secured to the ournalby means of pins 27 which pass entirely through .the length of the journal.

Two washers 28 areclamped against the ends of the pins 27 by means or' a bolt 29 which passes. through the journal. Between each of the washers 28 and the arms 26 are placed vilat spring washers 80, which provide-means for taking up all lost motion between the operating levers or :arms 26 and the pins 27. In a recessin the centerot' the journal 25 a crank arm 32is attached and is held to the journal by means of the three ypins 27, which hold the arms 26 also upon the journal. All

lost motion is taken up between the journal and the arm 32 by means of a spring 3.3 which passes through a hole in the journal and through a smaller hole in the arm 32. At its outer end, the arm 32 is connected to a journal 36 which passes through yoke links 37. rlhese links are rigidly connected at their lower ends to journal 24, which is pivotally connected to the cylindrical piston 21. A leaf spring 32 on the arm 32 presses against the journal 36 and holds the arm 32 in close contact Vwith the journal to take np any lost motion in the direction of automobile spring recoil at all times. A pipe 38, secured within the plate 18, is bent down so that its lower end extends well down into the oil container 13. A nozzle 39 on .its lower end restricts the liow of fluid through the pipe 38. rlhis nozzle may be removed and nozzles of any desired restriction used to regulate the restriction to suit springs of various tensions.

lt will be readily seen from the structuie justdefined, that movement of the plunger 2l downward will permit oil to pass from the container 13 into the chamber 40 above the valve 22. When the plunger is moved upward the oil trapped in the chamber 40 may pass down through the pipe .38 through the nozzle 39. Since the oil must be forced through a restricted passage the upward movement of the plunger 21 will be retarded. rlhe lower end of the pipe 38 is bent so as to direct the flow of oil in a direction somewhat tangential to the surface of the chamber 20, but slightly downward. Currents Iof oil therefore will move in a slightly downward direction and will not tend thereby to direct currents upwardly to churn up the surface of the eiland cause air bubbles, which create air pockets. Movement of the oil in the chamber 13 in the direction just indicated will also tend to circulate the oil around the sides of the container and assist in cooling the oil. It should also be noted that the oil under compression in the chamber 40 is a rather small proportion of the oil in the container 13. The oil from the chamber 40, which has been heated by compression, will be quickly cooled as it enters the container 13, which has large surfaces exposed to the atmosphere. These cooling features prevent any generation of gas within the oil, with its consequent gas pockets.

The pipe 38 entei's the chamber 40 at the uppermost portion of the plate 18. Any air which may have found its way into the chamber 40 will therefore soon pass out through the pipe 38.

The arm 26 at its outer end is connected to a link 41 in the following manner:

A hardened steel bushing 42 surrounding a bolt 43 is held between the ends of the operating levers or arms 26. A universal joint yoke 44 lits over the hardened steel bushing and is held against endwise movement between the arms 26 by means of washers 45, of cork, fibre or other resilient material. These washers absorb any lost motion between the connecting elements. The upper end of the yoke 44 has screw threaded therein an oiler cup 46. At the lower end of the universal yoke joint 44 is a pivot pin 47 which connects the universal yoke to a universal joint knuckle 48. The pin 47 passes through the yoke at right angles to the plane of the pin This provides for side sway and flexibility of spring suspension, thus permitting the points of attachment of the rigid link 41 to move onto the same vertical plane without straining the connections between the operating levers or arms 2G and their point of attachment to the axle of the vehicle.

A spring pressed plunger 49 passing up through the joint and yoke just described provides means for taking up lost motion between the hardened bushing 42, and the yoke 44. This pin is inserted from the the lower end of a bore 50. A spring 51 is held under compression against the upper end of the link 41 which latter is somit-threaded into the lower end of the knuckle 48 and tightly held therein by means of a nut 52. rlhc link 41 is threaded at its lower end into a swivel stud housing` 53. swivel stud socket 54 is screwed upon the lower end of the swivel stud housing 53. A swivel stud 55 is clamped to the axle bracket by means of nuts 5G and 57. The top of the swivel stud 55 carries a hemispherical knob 58. Between the upper end of the knob 58 and the lower end of the rod 41 is a compression spring 59. This spring is of suflicient tension to keep the contact between the swivel stud socket 54 andthe knob 58 in the direction of automobile spring recoil movement at all times, the spring 59 taking up all lost motion between the link 41 andthe frame of the machine.

In Figs. 'r' and 8 is shown a modified form of by-pass valve. ln this form the casing 10 has an oil filling` plug 8O screw-threaded therein. The by-pass passage 62 has a needle valve 61 positioned so as to regulate the flow of oil therethrough. A spring 63 is positioned so as to rest against the valve head and prevent its loose rotation. By removing the plug the valve 61 may be adjusted to regulate the How of oil through G2 desired, as well as fill shock diffuser to the desired oil level.

TWith this form of restricted passage for the oil the velocity of oil is greatest at the restriction rather than at the lower end of the pipe. The oil therefore emerges from the pipe with less velocity than with the pipe in the form shown in Fig. 1. This results in less disturbance of the oil in the container and less danger of foaming, all of which remove further possible danger of air pockets.

rlhe operation of the device is believed to be sufficiently obvious from the foregoing i. at its y uppermost iyzersge r3 description. It shouldf again be notedthat :all moving parts are cushioned soasitotale up any, possibleilost: inotionfand to bring "the vchecking action into play at'tli'e'instant oi recoil. Means for" eliniiniating' air pockets Y and gas due to heating the oil-assure `ari-"easy .t slow reco-il whichlresults'in afs-hoch `tliduser of the highest efficiency. l Y Y lt will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes mayy be'inadeininy device without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore, donot limit inyself to what is shown'in the drawingsand described in the specification, but only as set forth in the appended claims. Y Y `Having thusfully described Amy said invention, whatlaclaim asne'w and desire to secureby Letters fPatent,;is: o

l. A shock diliuser `comprising a housing, an oil chamber suspended thereto, an inverted cylinderinounted within saidcliamber, a pis- .ton i'eciprocably mounted within saidcylinder,areciprocating yoke vertically surround- .ing 'said cylinder, a rock `arin pivotallyconnected to saidpiston v'and operative connection between said rock larnij and a reciprocating member on a-veh-icle, substantially as set forth.

2. A shock Vdiffuser comprising ,a rigid housing, an oil chamber secured beneath said housing,an inverted cylinder securedito said housing Within said oil chamber, a plunger within said cylinder, a valve in said plunger, arestrictedf passage connecting the chamber point abovefsaid plunger with the lower portion ofsaid oil chamber, a shaft in said housing, a rock arm on said shaft, a link operatively connecting Vsaid Y rock arm'and said piston, and an arm rigidly secured to said shaft at one end andto a link at the other end, whereby upon movement of the link in one directionthe iiston ma f reelT i descend inthe cylinder but will have its inovenient in the other direction restricted by the flow of oil above said plunger, substarrtiallyV as set forth.

3. A shock diffuser comprising a rigid housing, an inverted cylinder mounted within said housing, a piston reciprocally mountedv i in said cylinder, aliquid container secured to the lower part of said housing and surrounding said cylinder, a restricted bly-pass con-- necting the space at the top of said cylinder to the lower part of the liquid container, the

.- lower end of the by-pass passage being dil spring arinr land said journal being .heldin Aconstant contact by va spring having'ja fixed tension in @the direction of said-roch 4arm `niovenient duringthe recoil movement ofeanautoinobil'e spring to which it is operatively connected, substantiallyasset forth. Y

' 5. t A `shock diffuser comprising a housing, :a roch 'arm supported Ain bearings in said housing,a iiuid container supported beneath said housing and lsecured thereto, an inverted cyliiideiwithin said container and supported by said housing, a valved piston'reciprocally movable in said cylinder, `a restricted :port

through'theend of the cylinder, and-apipe Vconnecting said port with the lower portion of said container, substantially `as Yset for-th. 6. ln a shock diffuser an oilllled chamber,

a cylinder mounted in lsaid chamber, a piston y reciprocably movable in said cylinder-,1 operative connection between said pistonuandtli'e oscillating part f of 1 a `vehicle. comprising; a

"yoke connected to said piston, f an arm connected Ato said yolre}tiie yoke straddling- 'said arm andsaid piston, and a spring adapted to V`hold said yoke andsaid piston in the direction of'inoveinent of saidfarin, yokeand piston during the recoil'moveinent of the oscillating part of the vehicle, substantially asset forth. 5 7.*iln`ashocl diffuser',a housing, a detach 4Vable cylindrical fluid container secured to the bottom of said housing,-farcylinder mountedk within said container, a-piston in saidcylinder, means permitting fluid toaflow fromsaid container lfreely into." said 'cylinder on one stroke ofV the pistoinand means restricting u the flow of fluid from said cylinder atits uppermost pointonythe opposite stroke of the'pistom andoperative connection between said piston and a'vehicle spring, substantially vas set forth. `1

"8. In'a'sliocl dii'iuserza journal, `apair of operating levers;` secured upon said Journal,

:a springwasherbetween each of said levers and the ends of said journal, thesaid washers Ahaving sufficient tensionand being biased to retain always thesame relation between the journal .and the' arins during automobile recoil movement, substantially 1, as set forth.

9.'In' a shock diffuser, a rigid housing, a ythin metal fluid container secured to the lower sidethereof, a cylinder inountedwithin said container, a piston reciprocably mounted in Afsaid"cylinder, a iluid vbyf-pass connected'to the-top'of said cylinder and adapted tode liver fluid'in a direction tangential 'and-at'. an

--angle slightly downward in `saidzcont-ainer whereby theiiuid deliyeredfthrough*said `-bypass ywilll cause the vwholev body-of oil 1in the lcontainer to whirl around .the wallsof said container and have :the heat-contained therein dissipated through the thin -walls of said container, substantiallyasset'forth` t l0. 'Infashoclr diffuser, a fluid filled conitainer, acylinder mounted therein,1a valved llt] ing, a fluid container attached to the lower part of said housing, the upper end of said rigid inverted cylinder forming a division between said fluid container and the chamber formed bV7 said housmc' bod* ofli uid in said container filling in above or approximately at the level of the division between the housing and said container submerging the rigid Vinverted cylinder and the reciprocating piston, a reciprocating yoke passing through two slots in the division between the fluid container and housing for operating the piston, the said reciprocating yoke being journaled at its upper end upon an oscillating rock-arm crank, which is attached to an oscillating journal that is actuated by arms attached t-o a connection between the axle of the automobile, the said reciprocating yoke being the only connection between the submerged piston tendingto make chanffe of fluid level only equal the displacement or the reciprocating yoke connecting the oscillating rock-arm crank to the reciprocating piston, whereby the mixing of oil and air is prevented to provide a true hydraulic resistance at the very start of spring recoil movements, substantially as set forth.

l2. In shock diffuser, a rigid housing, an invertedV cylinder attached therebeneath, the upper end of the cylinder being closed, a liuid container attached to the rigid housing completely surrounding said invertedcylinner, a body of oil in said container filling it to or slightly above the upper end of said inverted cylinder, a reciprocating piston in said inverted cylinder, a valve in the head of said piston, which valve has its seat on the face of piston head, a spring secured to the bottom or seat side of the valve, and connected to a yoke for actuating said piston from the lower or open end of said inverted cylinder, the piston being so connected to actuating yoke that a free port or opening is provided from the seat side of said valve through the inside of said piston and through the lower open end of said inverted cylinder to the space for fluid or oil immediately below and around said inverted cylinder and between the out-side of said inverted cylinder and the inside of said Huid or oil container, a by-pass pipe leading from the closed end of said inverted cylinder and extending spirally around the outside of said inverted cylinder and inside of the fluid or oil container surrounding said inverted cylinder, the discharge end of said iveaeie by-pass pipe adapted to direct the flow of oil through the by-pass pipe tangentially to the inner surface of said container and likewise downwardly toward the bottom of Jdie container, whereby the oil on the inside of the walls of said container is caused to travel from the top of the container toward the bottom and around the entire inside of the container, and to rise through the central portion of said container through the open end of the inverted cylinder, through the port in the bottom of said piston and through the valve in the head of said piston, producing a continuous flow of oil in the same direction at all times regardless of the position of the reciprocating` piston in said inverted cylinder, substantially as set forth.V

13. A shock diffuser comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocably mounted in said cylinder, a pivotally mounted rockarm, a yoke having its lower end journaled upon piston within the cylinder and its upper end journaled on the outer end of the rockarm, the said yoke straddling the outside of said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Miami Beach, Florida this 22nd day of laliay, A. D. nineteen hundred and twentyei wht.

t FRANK r. Laurus. 

